Method of and means for gauging metal or other articles



Jan. 15 1924.

- 1,481,240 H. L;. HEATHCOTE METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR GAUGING METAL OROTHER ARTICLES Filed Feb. 10. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet. 1

IN E

mvmmn 11,1). Hewfiwote,

BY %(fl 4M ATTORNEY Jan. 15 1924.

4 1,481,240 H. L. HEATHCOTE METHOD OF AND MEAI JS FOR GAUGING METAL OROTHER ARTICLES Filed Feb. 10, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 1 1202119101302H.L.Hea/fivcote,

Jittonnegj 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 .meavtor Jan. 15 1924.

H. L. HEATHCOTE METHOD OF AND mus FOR eweme METAL on onmn ARTICLES FiledFeb. 10 1920 Patented Jan. 15, 1924:.

agains T inane.

HEN3Y LEONARD HEATI-ICOTE, COVENTRY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO RUDGEWVHIT-WORTH, LIMITED, OF COVENTRY, ENGLAND.

METHOD OF AND MEANS FOR GAUGING B'IE'IAL OR OTHER ARTICLES.

Application filed February 10, 1920. Serial no. 357,731. r

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, HENRY LEONARD HnATHcorn, a subject or the King ofGreat Britain, residing at Budge Works, Crow Lane, Coventi", in thecounty of Vilarwick, England, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in the Method of and Means for Gauging Metal or OtherArticles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to determining or selecting operations known asgauging and grading as carried out upon nominally similar articles such,as, say for example, hearing balls. 7 i g It is known that, provided theengaging surfaces have a high finish, a metal sphere or cylinder willpass through a ring having an internal diameter'slightly less than thediameter of the sphere or cylinder, and that little or no damage willresult to either piece so long as the elastic limits of the metal arenot exceeded. In passing a plug through a ring, said plug beingnominally 1.125 in diameter, our experiments have shown that a variationof one ten-thousandthrof an inch may result in a difierence of aboutfifteen pounds in the effort required; that the difference may beincreased or decreased by varying the engaging pieces, and that asimilar but less pronounced result is obtained with snap gauges and flator curved articles.

The object of the present invention is to make use of theforegoing'facts to facilitate the exact determination required in suchoperations.

The invention consists in a method of performing upon articles at leastone ofthe operations known as gauging and gradin according to whichdifferences between nominally similar specimens are determined bycomparison of the forces required'to effect relative movement, while incontact, of the articles, and size determining means,

such for example as a gauge, micrometer or other device.

lhe invention further consists in a method according to the precedingparagraph or means for carrying the same into operation, in which thegauged articles are automatically collected in various groupingscorresponding to the forces which have been necessary to effect movementin relation to the size determining means.

The invention further consists in a method or means as indicated inwhich the defied tion under difierent Iorces of resilient meanssupporting the size determining means de- I termines the difference andin addition or alternatively effects the automatic grouping of thearticles.

The invention furtherconsists in providing a method of and a means'forgauging and in .addition or alternatively grading metal or otherarticles, in which the resis ance oflered between the gauge and thearticle when moved in relation to one an, other may be indicated on thedial'oi ia spring balance or the like, from which an accurate reading ordeduction may be made. The invention further consistsin a method 01":and a means for gauging and in addition or alternativelygrading'suitable metal or other articles in which a definite orsuccession of definite pressures isapplied to overi-. come theresistance offered to the articlein passing through or between thegauging surface or surfaces of an appropriate gauge,

with or without means for conducting the operation mechanicallyandcollecting the articles of different sizes in, different receptacles, il

.The invention further consist-sin a method of, and a means for gaugingand grading articles as indicated'in the preceding clauses,

in combination with a's'pring balance or like means for indicatingpressures or reading dimensions.

Referring now tothe accompanying more or less diagrammatic drawings:Figure 1 shows a micrometer gauge supported on a spring balance foroperating in accordance with the invention. 1

Figures 2 and 3 show a modified micrometerinstrument for operating uponarticles of a greater range of sizes. a

(iii

Figures 4 and 5 show anapparatusfor cles. V

Figure 6 shows another form of appara tus for operating upon similararticles such as hear ng balls.

operating. upon bearing balls or other arti- 4 Figure 7 shows a somewhatmodified apparatus of the type shown in Figure 6.

In the construction shown in Figural, a is a micrometer attached by anysuitable means to thetableb ot'a spring balance 0. In using such anapparatus the anviled c of the micrometer are set at a distance apartslightly less than the'smallestof the articles which are to be gaugedand the forces re quired to pass the articles between the anvils of themicrometer are noted upon the dial of the spring balance, the sizesbeing determined by reference to the deductions formed from gauging inlike manner articles of known differences of size.

In the construction shown in Figures 2 and 3, rectangular blocks 6 e arefastened between longitudinal tying members f by screws 9 accommodatedin slots in the longitudinal members, a third block it being pro 'videdadjacent to the block 0 having an actuating screw 71 for facilitatingadjustment of the block 6'. The two blocks 6 e are provided with anvilsor hardened gauging faces 1' a". H

in using this apparatus an appropriate standard is placed betweenthegauging surfaces 2' 5, and the blocks clamped with the faces incontact with the standard, a suitable pressure between the faces and thestandard being adjusted. The force necessary to move the standardbetween the faces may then be ascertained by placing the apparatus upona spring balance as indicated in Figure 1. Another standard of slightlylarger dimensions may then be gauged in the same manner and the readingof the balance again noted after which any articles of dimensionssufiiciently approximating to those of the standards may be inserted andtheir sizes determined by reference to the balance reading indicatingthe force necessary to insert. them between the gauging surfaces.

Figures 4 and 5 show a piece of apparatus suitablefor gauging andgrading bearing balls which have already been gauged to about oneten-thousandthof an inch. Tn this machine a shaftdriven by a wheel joperates by the crank pin j a lever 76 which its other nd is connectedby links Zcto a disc or carrier Z having around its edge a ring ofslidably mounted pressingmembers Z provided with collars Z adapted tosupport any desired number of disc weight Z'. T he disc Z is free toslide up and down upon a central guide m, uponthe lower portion of whichthere is rotatably mounted a table a carrying a series of gauges ncorresponding to the series of pressing members Z. The gauges a maypreferably be split and mounted in holders 02 provided with means forcompressing or closing the rings to'any desired extent. I Beneath thetable a is arranged a series of orifices 0 corresponding to the numberof pressing members Z and each provided with a tube or other conduit 0leading to asuitable receptacle for receiving the articles after theyhave passed the gauges. i The table is adapted to be movedintermittently around the guide m by any suitable motion, say forexample, the interrupted worm p gearing with teeth on the boss of thetable n and operated by the shaft [9, bevels p and vertical shaft p fromthe main shaft j.

The disc Z is reciprocated upon the guide m and between each movementthe disc at is moved a distance equal to the space between the pressingmembers Z. The gauges n are fed with balls to be gauged, and as thepressing members Z are lowered thereon any ball of an appropriate sizewill be forced through its gauge and carried, y the conduit into thecorresponding receptacle. A ball which fails to pass under the pressureof the first nember which acts upon it will be moved on to the next andso on until it has been forced through the gauge into a receptaclecorresponding to the increase of pressure or number of applications of asimilar pressure required. The pressure on each plunger may, if desired,be varied by being weighted, or if preferred a lever system or otherform of loading may be employed. The pressures exerted by the members Zand the sizes of the gauging rings are so adjusted that successivelydelivered lots differ in size only to the desired extent, and as eachapplication of force to a ball is in the nature of a tap or slight blow,either the number of taps of equal force or the number of taps ofgradually increasing force may be employed for the purpose of selection.

In the construction shown in Figure 6 a gauge a is car ied upon holder11 sliding in a guide a and supported upon a coiled spring a A pressingmember Z working.

in a guide Z and operated by a lever Z is lowered upon the ball 7supported in the gauge it until the pr ssure exerted by the spring a issu'liicientto force the ball through the gauge. The holder 91. isprovided with toothed rack a gearing with the teeth of a quadrantcarried upon one arm 9 of cranked lever, the other arm of which gears bytoothed quadrant r with a bevel wheel 3' connected to a pan 8 rotatablymounted upon a stud .9

The pan 3 is divided into a series of compartments and it turnedby thedownward movement f the holder at a compartment corresponding with theposition reached by the holder 1* consequently with the pressureexerteby the spring if will be brought underneath the ball 5/ at themoment it is pressed. through the gauge ii. In order to prevent a suddenreturn of the holder 12? and the del very of a ball to a wrongcompartment a pawl 2" is fitted to enratchet teeth 1: upon the holder7r"; thus preventing its return until the pawl 1* has been released.

Figure 7 indicates a modified form of the type of mechanism lastdescribed; gauge holder a is provided with a curved passage 24' leadingout upon the sine of the holder and registering with a series of ports4), a),

'11 and 0 formed in the side of the guide n;

a pawl t as in the form last described, but

in this case the ports o to o are each provided with tubes leading toseparate receptacles taking the place of the rotatable and,

divided pan 8, and the balls pass into one or the other of the portsinaccordance with the pressure which has been necessary to enable themto pass through the gauge. To ensure the holder at registering correctlywith one or other of the ports '0 to e a pawl or catch 10 may beprovided to engage teeth w'formed in the pressing member Z It will beseen that with the apparatuses hereinbefore described, very accurategauging may be obtained; for example, bearing balls of .625 inch indiameter which have already been gauged so that the variation indiameter does not exceed one ten-thousandth of an inch may, by operatingin accordance with the invention, be further separated into 2, 3, i ormore different sizes as desired;

The constructions hereinbefore described are given by way of exampleonly, and it will be easily seen that the various methods of loading andother modifications may be introduced without in any way departing fromthe spirit of this invention.

Having now described my invention, what I- claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1.-The method of gauging articles whichconsists in applying said articles to a gauging opening and indicatingthe differences between said articles by the differences in resistanceafforded by a wall of said open ing to the articles.

2. The method of ascertaining small differences in the characteristicsof similar articles consisting in moving said articles relative to agage, said gage and articles being so related in size and form to oneanother that the relatively moving articles and gage when applied theone to the other deform one another elastically, and utilizing themagnitude of the force required to produce such relative motion fordetermining the desired characterlstics of said articles.

3. A methodof grading articles according to small differences in thecharacterislocations, which correspond to the magnitude of the forcesrequired to produce relative motion.-

I .4. A method of ascertaining the size and surface. characteristics ofresistant articles Without permanent deformation thereof, conslsting 1nforcing said articles through a gage, applying forces of changingmagnitude to cause the relative movement be-' tween the gage andarticles and employing the value of the force for the purpose ofascertaining said. characteristics.

5. Amethod of ascertaining the size and surface characteristics of arolling element of an anti-friction bearing without permanentdeformation thereof, consisting in ap plying forces of changingmagnitude to said element and a gauging element in contact therewith andemploying the value of the force which produces the relative movementfor the purpose of ascertaining said char-\ acteristics.

6. In apparatus for ascertaining the size and surface characteristics ofresistant articles, the combination of a gauge, a force transmittingmeans movable in a direction in which an article can enter said gaugeand means for ascertaining the force exerted in effecting such arelative movement between said article and gauge as will cause suchelastic deformation of at least one of the two to allow the article tomove through the gage.

7. In apparatus for ascertaining the size and surface characteristics ofrolling elements for anti-friction bearings, the combination of a gaugemeans for transmitting force of changing magnitude movable in adirection in which an element can enter said gauge, a series ofcollecting receptacles and means for automatically placing an el ment ina receptacle corresponding to the magnitude of the force required topass it through a gauge.

8. In apparatus for ascertaining the size and surface characteristics ofrolling elements for anti-friction bearings, the combination of a ringgauge in which an element may be entered, a series of pressing elementseach adapted'to apply a force of increased magnitude in the direction ofentry of said element into said gauge, separate collecting means in lineand cooperating with each pressing element and means for moving saidgauge to each pressing element.

9. In apparatus for ascertaining the size and surface characteristics ofrolling ele-' ments for anti-friction bearings, the combination of amovable pressing element, a movable gauge adapted to occupy each of aseries of positions in which a force of a difierent magnitude is exertedby a pressing element and a conduit leadin to a different receptacle ateach positionof said series to collect the bearing elements inaccordance with the'pressure'required to effect their passage through agauge.

10. In apparatus for ascertaining the size iii) and surfacecharactertistics of resistant articles, the combination of a centralguide, a circular carrier adapted to reciprocate longitudinally thereon,aseries of equally spaced pressing elements each adapted to exert asuccessively greater force movably mounted in said carrier around saidguide, a conduit leading to a separate receptacle positioned below eachpressing eiement, a table rotatable on said guide positioned betweensaid pressing elements and conduits a series of gauges coaxial with saidpressing elements and conduits carried by said table and means forintermittently moving thetable to carry each gauge successively from onepressing element to another during successive reciprocation of thecarrier.

11.111 apparatus for ascertaining the size and surface characteristicsof resistant articles, the combination of a gage'and means for applyingforces of differing mag);- nitude in a direction adapted to press anarticle into said gauge and means for determining the value of the forcewhich produced determined movement 01 the article in the gauge in thedirection in which said force is applied.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HENRY LEONARD HEATHCOTE.

